The book begins with the table of contents, and an overview of animals such as species and evolution. The first category is mammals, which includes species such as bats and grouping such as carnivores. Next is birds, with their unique feathers such as the flight feathers labeled and all the species including grebes and raptors. Third are the reptiles, listing the four major reptile groups: snakes and lizards, turtles and tortoises, crocodilians, and tuataras which look like lizards but have differently shaped teeth. After reptiles is amphibians, which explains that the word amphibians comes from the Greek word “amphibios”, which means “both lives” since amphibians will live above and below water. The included amphibians are newts/salamanders, frogs, and toads. Fifth is fish, which have a lot of variations and colors. Next is invertebrates, which make up almost 97%of all animal life. They can have larger brains, like squids and octopi, or smaller brains, such as worms and insects. Even sponges and corals fall under this category! Finally, record breakers are located at the back, along with the glossary and index.

I enjoyed reading this book because it had an easy-to-read format but not lacking a lot of information. The pictures were entertaining because I have not heard or seen some of the species listed in this book, and it was very well organized. I loved looking at the birds and invertebrates the most because they were very vibrant and eye catching! I learned about fascinating bugs such as the tiger giant centipede, which is black and orange and can grow up to 8-10 inches. I also learned about monotremes, which are egg laying mammals, such as the short-nosed echidna. This book was a nice relaxing read that refreshed my memory of some animals and helped me learn a few new facts. ( )